Cleat-making and cleat and handle assembling machine



Nov. 20, 1928.

J. A. GRAY CLEAT MAKING AND CLEAT AND HANDLE ASSEMBLING MACHINE FiledMay 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet L INV TOR. 6 Bx 2 ATTORNEY Nov. 20, 1928.

J. A. GRAY CLEAT MAKING AND CLEAT AND HANDLE ASSEMBLING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1925 ATTORNEY.

1 of thcleats from their respective loops.

Fatented Nov. 26, 1928.

UNITED STATES} PATENTOFFICE.)-

JAMES A. GRAY, or sen raaivcisco, cem'ronivin, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICA CANM} PANY, or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A conronsrrolv on -NEW JERSEY.

await-MAKING AND GLEAT AND Application filed May 2,

L invention relates to .anappro; aring handles to be subsequentlyattachedas by soldering to can ends, the handles so prepared being ofthe well know type comprising a rectangular or similarly formed loop ofwire secured to "the canv end by means of a sheet metal clip or cleat,said cleat embracing one side of the wire loop to form a hinge "joint topermit said loop either to lie'fiat upon the can end, or to beswung atright angles thereto when, used as a handle.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple automatic machine forforming. the shcet metal cleats and a mhnng the same with the previouslyforms ire loop in such a n anner that they cannotbeaccidentally atedtherefrom during subsequent han- As a result the assembled cleats and ina condition to be attached to can ends by solderor any other well knownmethod and may be'handled orshipped without any 161 precautions toprevent a separation loops are discharged from the machine {Etherobjects and advantages ofthe present. invention will be apparent fromthe follow i specification and the accompanying drawi s in which isdescribed and illustrateda preferred embodiment of the said invention.It is to be understoodthat the form. proportion. and arrangement of theseveral pa ts comprising the machine maybe varied within the limitsofthe claims hereto appended without eparting from the spirit'of theinfrention. 7

In order to comprehend the invention; reference should be had to theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a part sectional end elevationof the machine. 7

Fig. 2 is a part sectional sideelevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail taken in the direction of thearrows on the lines 33 of Figs. 2 and-4, showing the cleatblank feedmechanism. I

Fig. 4; is a sectionalplanview of the same.

Fig.5 is an enlarged sectionaldetail taken in the direction of thearrowson the line 55 of Fig. 3, showing the assemblinginechanism. i i

Fig. 6 is a'section taken in the direction, of the arrows on the line 66of Fig; 5, show dies during the operation thereof.-

HANDLE ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

1925. Serial no. 27,590. I

Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the relative. positions of the d es atthe conclusion assembling operation.v

of the Fig. 8 is an enlargedsectional detail taken in the directionoffthe arrows on the lines. 88 of Figs. 2 and '9, showing. theloop feedmechanism. v: c

Fig. 9 is asectional plan View of thesame- Fig. 10 is a perspective Viewof the cleat blank. J g

v Fig. 11 is a perspective View of the'wire' loop member. ,Q r

'- Fig. '12 is a perspective view of the assembled formed cleat and wireloop making up the completed handle ready for attachment to a can end.

I i In the drawings,.thereference numeral 1 designates the bed ofth'emachine, and 2 asuperstructure rising therefrom and supporting arotatable shaft 8 provided with a driv 111 side source,' not shown. Theshaft 3 is pro videdwith acrank 5,1 1, oonneetedlby a pitman 6 with avertical reciprocable head '7, the latter operating in suitable guides 8secured to the superstructure 2. Abracket 9, FigsQl and 2, extendslaterally from the pulley 4 for receiving power from an out'-:

head 7 and is connected by a link 10 with an- I oscillatorymember11,,j0urnalled about shaft 12, Fig. 2. 'Themember 11. carries a pawl 13-adapted to, engage aratchet wheel" member'22 formed. inthebed 1,:theflights of said chain travelling in agroove 23 as shown in Figsll and8.'- f

The drive shaft 3 carries acam 24 at one end; as shown in Fig. 1, andsaid cam operates a lever QSeXtending upwardlyfromaiid secured to ashaft'26 Figs. 1.and;2.. A lever 27 secured to said shaft 26extendsdownwardr' ly therefrom and isconnected by a-link 28 with a slide 29;The slide 29- is adapted ,to' be reciprocated horizontally beneath aholder 80, Figs. 1, 2 and-8, adapted to contain a stack of previously-;formed wire loops 31 tal central portion 33 extending to the groove f23 and with downwardly inclined end portions 34, as shown. Thus the loop31 when pushed out from beneath the holder 30 by the slide 29 remains ina horizontal position until its forward bar 31 drops off the end of thehorizontal guideway portion 33. The inclined guideway portions 34 thenpermit the loop to assumera vertical position in the slot 23 as a resultof the continued advancing movement of the slide 29. p The loop 31 isthus fed into the groove 23 and falls upon the conveyer chain-19 in aposition to be engaged by one of the flights 20 thereof as shown in Fig.2. i

The oscillating shaft 26, Figs. 1 and 2, is also provided with a seconddownwardly extending lever 35, which is connected by a link .36 with afeed slide 37. The "latter is adapted toreciprocate horizontally beneath a'holder 38, Figs. '3 and 4 adapted .to contain'a stack of cleatblanks 39, Figs.

3 and. 10, and by said reciprocation to successivelyslide thelowermostot said blanks out from beneath'the stack within said holder,and to position the removed blank across the slot 23,-as shown in Fig.3. The opera tions of the respective slides 37 and 29 and the conveyerchain 19 are so timed as to cause the cleat blank 39 to be pushedthrough a positioned wire loop 31, as shown in Figs.

I 3, 4 and 5. The wire loops, after being engaged by the flights 20 ofthe chain 19 and removed from the sphere of action of the teed slide29,as shown in Fig. 2, are subsequently advanced through a continuation ofthe slot 23. by contact with. each other, as shown in Fig. 5, and thevarious parts are so timed and related that. when. the conveyor chain.19 comes to rest one wireloop will be positionedin transverse alignmentwith the cleatblank feedslide 37, so that by the operation of thelatter, as described above, a cleat blank is slid horizontallythroughsaid positioned loop 31. A suitable guideway 40 is provided for insuringthe proper travel'ot the cleat blank 39 from its holder 38 to itsassembling At this assembling position, as shown in Figs. 3 and '5, theloop 31 rests upon a ver tically movable plunger 41 suitably mounted inthe bottom of the slot 23 and pressed upwardly to its normal position inalignmentwith the bottom of said slot by a spring 42. Thereciprocatinghead 7 carries at its lowei end a die 43 positioned-in verticalalignment with the yieldable plunger 41.

In this position also, the cleat blank 39 rests upon a pair ofreciprocable slides 44 and 45 lying on'each side of the groove 23. The

slide 44 is provided with an inclined aperture 46 through whichpasses abar 47' secured to the head 7 and provided withan inclined portion 48.It will be readilypunden stood from Fig. 3 of the drawings that when thehead 7 descends from the position shown, the slide 44 is moved to theleft by the contact of the inclined portion 43 ot the bar 47 with theinclined slot or aperture 46 formed in said slide. of the head 7 alsocauses the lower end or: the bar 47 to contact with bell crank lever 49fulcrumed as at 50 and provided with a connection at 51 with the slide45' so that said slide 45 is moved to the right simultaneously with theleft hand the opposite side 44. v

Figs. 3 and 5 show the relative positions of the parts immediately priorto the beginning of the assembling operation. The die wire loop andforming a bearing for it in which the loop is rotatably retained. The

movement of The same movement 3 oppositely disposed slides 44 and 45 arethen i moved towardeach other until at the conclusion of the o aerationthe carts are in the accidental separation therefrom. The slide 7 thenretreats upwardly, the oppositely disposed slides 44 and 45 are aga nseparated and the assembled handle is pushed away from the sphere ofaction of the assembling mechanism by the advance of the next fol--lowing wire loop. The assembled handles,

shown at 53 in Fig. 2,- may be discharged: from the machinein'anyconvenient manner,

not shown in the drawings. 7

It will be readily understood from the foregoing that the operation ofthe mach e, which is entirely automatic, comprises ihe successivefeeding of the wire loops 31 fronr their holdeiythesuccessivepositioning of the cleat blanks39 within said loops, and the sno cessiveforming of the cleat blanks into cleats by partially wrapping themaround the wire loops.

At each movement of the conveyor, 'chain'19, a loop 31 is carriedintoasseznbling position, and durlng the succeeding period 1rd I of restof said chain 19, a cleat blank positioned within said loop and isformed into a cleat and assembled with said loop'tw make the completedhandle shown in Fig.12.

shown in Figs? and 12, the completed han dles may be subsequentlyoperated on or shipped without any danger of their-component partsbecoming separated.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An apparatus for thedescribed purpose comprising means for positioning a loop member and acleat member in assembling relation, and means for uniting the saidmembers by bending the cleat member and forming therein a bearing toembrace a portion of the loop member to an extent sufficient to preventits removal therefrom, and means for forming the two ends of the cleatmember as extensions to fit'on a can to be soldered thereto.

2. An apparatus for the described purpose comprising means forpositioning a loop member and a cleat blank in assembling relation, andmeans for forming said blank into a cleat having a bearing and unitingthe same with said loop member, and means for form ing the two ends ofthe cleat member as extensions to fit on a can to be soldered thereto.

3. An apparatus tor'tlie described purpose comprising means forpositioning a loop member and a cleatblank in assembling relation, andmeans for bending said blank to embrace a portion of said loop member toform. a bearing and cleat therefor, and means for forming the two endsof the cleat member as extensions to fit on a can to be solderedthereto.

a. An apparatus for the described purpose comprising means forpositioning a loop member and a cleat blank in assembling relation,means for bending said blank into a cleat and means for bending the sameto em? brace a portion of said loop member to an an tent sufiicient toprevent its removal therefrom, and means for forming the two ends of thecleat member as extensions to fit on a canto be soldered thereto.

5. An apparatus for the described purpose comprising means forpositioning a loop member and a cleat blank in assembling relation, andmeans for bending said blank around a Vportion'o'f said loop member-andmeans for further bending said blank to an extent sufiicient to preventremoval of the v loop member therefrom, and means for'forming the twoends of the cleat member as eX- tensions to fit on a can to be solderedthereto.

6. An apparatus for the described purpose comprising means forpositioning a loop member and a cleat member in assembling relation, andmeans for bending said cleat member into a U-shape around a portion ofsaid loop member and means for further bending the cleat member to anextent sufficient to prevent removal of the loop member therefrom, andmeansi'or forming the two ends of the cleat member as extensions to fiton a can to be soldered thereto.

7 An apparatus for the described purpose comprising means for receivingand holding a loop member, means tori-eceiving and holding a cleatblank, means for feeding the blank within the loop member, and means forforming said blank into a cleat and uniting the same withsaid loopmember comprising a die acting on the loop member and two sides oftheblank and other dies actingon the two sides of the blank inopposition to the iirst die.

8. An apparatus for the described purpose a stack of loop members, meansfor receiving and holding a stack of cleat blanks, and means forsuccessively forming said blanks into cleats and uniting the same withsaid loop members, and means for forming the two ends of the cleatmember as extensions to fit on a can to be soldered thereto.

10. In an apparatus for assembling cleat members and loop members toform handles,

means for receiving and holding a stack ofloop members, and means forsuccessively removing said loop members fromfsaid stack and assemblingcleat members therewith comprising a die acting on they loop member andtwo sides of the blank and other-dies acting on.

the twosides ofthe blank inopposition to the 1 firstdie. I 1 V 11. In amachine for forming cleat mem- .bers and uniting the-same with loopmembers to form handles, means for receiving and holding a stack ofcleat blanks, means for successively removing said blanks from saidstack, and means for forming the removed blank into a cleat and unitingthe same with a positioned loop member comprising a the acting on theloop member and two'sides of the blank and other dies acting on the twoaides of the blank in opposition to the first 12. An apparatus for thedescribed pur pose comprising a holder adapted to contain a stack ofhorizontally disposed loop members, means for successively removing aloop member from said stack and tilting the same into a verticalposition, means for positioning a cleat member in assembled relationwith the vertically disposed loop member, and means for uniting saidmembers to form a handle. v v

13. An apparatus for the described purpose comprising means forreceiving and holding a stack of horizontally disposed loop members tobe attached to cleats,'means for tilting the same to a verticalposition,means for successively advancing the vertically disposed loop members toassembling positlon,

means for positioning acleat blank in as-v sembling relation with theloop member at said assembling position, and means for forming saidblank into a cleat and uniting the same with said loop member.

15. An apparatus for the described purpose comprising a holder adaptedto contain a stack of loop members, a second holder adaptr with saidloop members.

ed to contain a stack of cleat blanks, means for removing the loopmembers from their holder and conveying the same to assemblingposition,means for removing the cleat blanks from their holder and positioningthe same in assembling relation with said loop mem bers, and means forforming the positioned cleat blanks into cleats and uniting the same 16.In an apparatus for the described pur pose, a pair of spaced movablejaws, means for positioning a loop member between said jaws, means forpositioning a cleat blank upon said jaws, said blank extending through.said loop member, means for forcing said loop member downwardly betweensaid jaws to bend said blank arounda portion of said loop member, andmeans for moving said jaws toward each other to cause said blank. toembrace said loop portion sufliciently to prevent its removal therefrom.

17. In an apparatus for the described purpose, a pair of spaced movablejaws, means for positioning a loop member between said jaws, means forpositioning a cleat blank upon said jaws, said blank extending through Isaid loop member, a'plunger adapted to, force said loop memberdownwardly between said jaws to bend said blank around its upperportion, and means actuated by said plunger for moving said jaws towardeach other to cause said blank to embrace said loop portion.

18. In an apparatus for the described purpose, a pair of spaced movablejaws, means for positioning a loop member between said jaws, meansforpositioningacleatblankupon said aws, said blank extending throughsaidloop member,aplunger adapted to force said loop member downwardlybetween said jaws to bend said blank around its upper portion,

means for moving said jaws toward each other to complete the bending ofsaid blank, and spring actuated means for returning said loop membertoits original position upon the upward movement of said plunger.-

19. In an apparatus for the described purpose, a bed having a slotformed therein, a pair of spaced oppositely disposed movable jawspositioned on either side of said slot, means for advancing a loo-pmember through said slot'and positioning the same between sai d jaws,means for positioning a cleat blank upon said jaws, said blank extendingtl'irough said loop member, a plunger adaptedto force said loop memberdownwardly between said jaws to bend said blank around its upperportion, and means for movin said jawstoward eachother to complete thebending o l -said blank. r j V 20. In an apparatus for the describedpurpose, a pair of spaced movable jaws, means for positioning a loopmember. between said. jaws, means for positioning a cleat blank uponsaid aws, said blank extending through said loop member, a plungeradapted to force 7 said loop member downwardly between said .jaws tobend said blank around itsnp per portion, means for moving said jawstoward each other to complete the bending of said blank, and aconnection between'sa-id plunger and said loop positioning means foroperating the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. 7

JAMES A. GRAY.

